Dear Rosie, (Love Letters #2)

Rosie glances at him, probably thinking that he struggles with the English language. Which isn’t entirely incorrect.

Rosie turns her attention to Maddox. “Nathan lived at the other end of the street from me.”

“In Ohio?” Maddox asks. I keep avoiding his gaze.

“Wisconsin,” Rosie corrects.

“Wisconsin?” Maddox sounds like he’s thinkingreally hard, and I have to stop myself from sighing.

“I didn’t know you lived in Wisconsin,” Hannah says, sounding like she can’t believe it.

“It was a long time ago,” Rosie reasons, her cheeks turning pink. “Nathan, Nate, moved away to Ohio when he was twelve.” She looks over at Maddox. “I was his best friend first.”

My smile is so sudden and so wide that a piece of food falls out of my mouth.

“Gross.” Chelsea scrunches her face at me.

I open my mouth wider, showing her the rest of the mashed-up food on my tongue.

Chelsea looks at Rosie. “Was he like this as a kid too?”

Rosie nods. “Worse, even.”

Maddox leans forward. “Okay,best friend, why haven’t I heard of you?”

Rosie’s expression falters, and I’ve never wanted to punch Maddox more in my life.

“We lost touch,” I say before Rosie has to answer. “You know how it is.” I hold his gaze as I say it. Maddox should know better than anyone how that feels, and my tone should tell him not to push it.

He lifts a brow but doesn’t pry.

“So when you saw each other at our reception…” Hannah prompts.

Rosie’s cheeks get even pinker. “That was the first time… in a long time.”

Maddox stares at me. “Interesting.”

“Very.” I nod slowly. “Now, can someone pass me the rice?”

“Tell Rosie I’ll text her in the morning,” Ruth whispers to me with a wave.

“Will do,” I whisper back. “Thanks again for all the help.”

Ruth shakes her head, then starts toward the door where Chelsea and Hannah are putting on their shoes.

Rosie will no doubt feel bad about not saying goodbye, but after hearing the story of the car accident, no one would let me wake her.

I look down at the woman tucked beside me.

She’s in her usual spot at the end of the couch, only with her back against the armrest, her side against the back of the couch, and her legs up over my lap.

After dinner, we all made our way over to the living room, and after we were forced to tell a handful of childhood stories from the woods, Rosie nodded off.

That’s when I told them how she got hurt. Including the part where Rosie pushed her coworker out of the way, sacrificing herself.

Maddox was watching me the whole time like he knew I was leaving something out. But I wasn’t about to talk about the letters in front of his whole family.

I love them. I know I can trust them. But that’s not my decision to make alone.